


I Hate That I Love You

by Brila



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: All he wants is for Keith to love him, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angry Sex, Angst, Bottom Lance (Voltron), Depression, Drinking, Drunk Sex, Falling In Love, Fighting, Friends With Benefits, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Kidnapping, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron) is a Ray of Sunshine, M/M, Porn With Plot, Power Bottom Keith (Voltron), Praise Kink, Rough Sex, Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Top Keith (Voltron), Unrequited Love, klance, poor lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:41:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26148844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brila/pseuds/Brila
Summary: Lance hates him. He hates that he is always better than him, how he always one ups him, how he can't keep him off his mind. But he can't help but love him at the same time. Who knew that he would fall in love with his rival Keith? But Keith doesn't love him back. That much is apparent. However, when Lance gets the chance to have at least a little bit of him, he can't help but jump at the opportunity. If he can't have his heart, at least he could have him in bed.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 169





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first story, let me know how it's going! I hope y'all are having a good day.

Hey guys! This is my first story, let me know how it's going! I hope y'all are having a good day. This story kinda mashes up a bunch of the seasons together but the general gist of it is that the paladins are still in their original lions. Lance is still the blue paladins and all that. 

If you're here for the juicy bits ;) it starts at chapter 8 which isn't out yet but will be soon. After that it's chapter 11, 12, 14, 16, and more to come. 

Anyways on to the story!!


	2. Chapter 2

He was hammered. Definitely hammered. Lance was trying to play it off as if he was perfectly okay. Trying to keep his eyes more open than the usual classic half-lidded, sitting up straight, not screaming on the top of his lungs, and taking extra precautions that his words weren't slurring. Whatever was in the alien's party drink was strong than any alcohol on Earth. After another liberation of a planet, they were having their celebration party. He was engaging with a casual conversation with a couple of the puffy bush like creatures. And if Allura and Shiro caught him drunk, he would be in big trouble. Allura would give him rant about how they are a paladin of Voltron and they shouldn't be portraying such behaviors. Shiro would go all space-dad on him and give him a lecture about underage drinking. Honestly, it wasn't his fault. They had offered him a drink, sure it looked fancier than the rest, but he didn't want to seem rude and turn them down. He didn't like the particular taste but he drank a fourth of the cup-like the "good manners" Allura taught them. He had tried to drag the conversation out for as long as he could. He still couldn't quite get around yet, but eventually, they had to leave.

"Keith!" Lance hissed as he saw him walk by, "Keith!"

He almost continued walking past him but Lance picked up the toothpick like thing and flicked it at him. Keith whirled around like he had been attacked.

"What the hell do you want?" Keith crossed his arms but walked over.

"I accidentally got drunk," Lance sighed, "I need you to help me to my room before Shiro and Allura find out."

"Ugh, why me," Keith huffed.

"Because you're the only one close enough to help me."

Lance wouldn't have chosen him to help. Keith was, in fact, the last person Lance wanted to help him. It was nothing against Keith, it actually had nothing to do about Keith. No, it would be what Keith did to him. Wrapping his arm around him and him leaning on him and it was going to be damn hard to A) not get a boner and B) not have an incessant blush spread across his face. But he would keep it under control.

"Fine," Keith huffed and then he was wrapping his arm under his arms, helping him up.

" _Just imagine it's Shiro and he's super pissed at you,_ " Lance told himself.

"Hey," Keith poked his face, "Did you pass out?"

" _No, I'm just trying not to look at your face._ "

"No," Lance said.

Keith looked around the room, making sure that Shiro and Allura wouldn't spot him, before hurriedly walking across the room.

"Hey, hey!" Lance said, "You're practically dragging me across the floor."

"I'm literally just walking across. How drunk are you?" Keith asked.

"Drunk enough that if I don't drink enough water I'm going to wake up with a hangover. Make sure to bring me a drink."

He let go of Lance, who flopped against the bed with a yelp.

"The room service isn't good here," Lance joked.

"Ha ha, very funny," Keith said, placing a cup of water next to him.

And with that Keith took his leave. Lance let out a groan, taking a large gulp of water before running his hands down his face. He was such a mess. Did he seriously have to fall for grumpy old Keith, the least likely person on the team who would return his feelings? But he couldn't deny the way his chest seemed to swarm with a warm fuzzy feeling. The way he couldn't look at his face for too long, lest he lose himself in his eyes wondering how they could even be that color and how pretty they were.

He wanted It left him with a feeling of longing which brought its plus one, loneliness. He really just needed to move on. It was just a distraction and got in the way of Voltron. It was also making him slightly avoidant of Keith.

"Hey."

Lanced looked up to see Hunk standing in the doorway.

"Mind if I come in?" Hunk didn't really wait for an answer already strolling in. But they both knew the answer was already a yes, "I heard you weren't feeling well from Keith. You sure you didn't catch some weird alien disease?"

Lance could tell by the way Hunk was looking at him, he was about to have a major freak out about becoming infected.

"No," Lance sighed, "I accidentally got drunk. Please don't tell Shiro or Allura."

"You know I wouldn't snitch," Hunk chuckled, "I can think of a million more times where you've done something worse and I had to keep it a secret."

"Just tell them I was feeling overworked from the mission today and needed to take a rest," Lance said.

"Got it," Hunk smiled, "I'll leave you to sleep."

" _Ya, sleep. Not dream about Keith,_ " Lance mentally rolled his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Today was one of those days. He woke up to the feeling that he was wearing a lead coat, crushing and heavy. Too heavy to get out of bed. He pulled his head under the covers, almost as if he was trying to hide from the day. He wanted to ignore the day, go back to sleep. He stared at the clock, noticing that it was four in the morning, watching the ticks tick by. He hoped that the absolute boredom that he literally couldn’t feel would drag him to sleep. Not today. He pulled out his space phone, flicking through some of the apps before settling on the TV app. He clicked on it, holding his breath and hoping that they were in range of some signal. The universe decided to let him have at least that.

He mindlessly watched through some of the shows, noting that the space creatures had a very different taste in shows than he did. Mostly soap operas but they required little to no brain effort to watch so he supposed he liked them in that sense. He watched characters run through the episodes before they disappeared off the show. Probably just like him. As soon as Blue found a better paladin then he would be gone. The dream was to return home after that but knowing through the universe, he would die before he could make it back.

He heard the swish of his door sliding open and curled into a tighter ball. No doubt it was Hunk coming in to check on him. He had noticed that he was once again late to breakfast and he made the classic excuse that he had slept in. Everyone knew that Lance would preach that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Hunk was the only one who knew of his depression, the only person who he could trust with his feelings. Part of him hated him for bothering him

“ _ How could I even hate Hunk? He’s your best friend. Stupid, stupid, you can’t even appreciate your friends. He should just give up on me. _ ”

But Hunk had been there for him the moment he had found out, Lance breaking down and sobbing his feelings out in the garrison. He had received medication after Hunk had sold him out to the garrison even though he told him not to. But he knew that Hunk had done what was best for him. He stopped the cycle of depression he was stuck in. 

Then he had been launched into space. Floating in space with no meds what-so-ever. His body had taken cold-turkeying off his medication poorly. He spent days stranded by the toilet bowl, puking his guts out and unable to get any sleep at all. He smiled fondly at the thought. His team had been there for him, constantly asking him if he needed anything, even Keith’s quiet presence in the room. They didn’t know that he was taking medication thinking that instead, he had caught some sort of space bug.

There were moments where he contemplated telling his teammates.

“ _ I can’t. They would think that I can’t do anything right. I’ve got this, I’m not going to wimp out over some feelings. We’re fighting an intergalactic war that the fate of the universe depends on. I can’t be a burden. The weight of the world is heavy enough. _ ”

Right, back to Hunk. He felt a hand touch him through the covers.

“Go away,” Lance groaned, curling even tighter around himself.

“Come on, you need to get out of bed. You’ll feel better,” Hunk said, trying to pull the covers off of him in vain. Lance just moved to stay under them and when they were off the bed, he pulled a pillow over his head.

“Leave me alone,” Lance swatted at him.

He heard Hunk huff in exasperation and it made him feel guilty. Hunk wrapped him up in a hug, the pillow falling out of his grip. He knew Hunk was about to pull out his secret weapon. 

“I’m going to go make breakfast for you, It’ll be ready in about 10 minutes,” Hunk told him, letting him go to get started.

If there was one thing that always got Lance out of bed, it was Hunk making him breakfast. He couldn’t stand the guilt of Hunk personally making him a meal and him throwing it back at his face. He really didn’t understand why the concept of not eating Hunk’s meal was so motivating but it was. 

Lance swung his feet over the side of his bed running a hand through his ruffled hair. His skin and hair care routine was lacking these days. He was starting to get pimples along the top of his hairline but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. It was hard enough to just take a shower. He hadn’t taken one last night but he had promised himself he would take it the next one.  He probably wouldn’t.

He kicked off his PJ’s and pulled on a fresh set of clothes, not bothering to match them. At least he had the excuse that he had decided that today was a lazy Sunday. He emerged from his room, taking his time to make it down to the kitchen. When he made it, he slumped down into the chair and buried his head in his arm. The smell of space pancakes made his stomach rumble, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything for the past two days besides breakfast. 

A plate was set down in front of him and Hunk smiled. Lance picked up a fork that he had placed down and started to eat. Hunk talked about coding, obviously trying to fill up the silence that Lance had left. Lance tried to focus on what Hunk was saying and not his thoughts which were trying to run him off the slippery slope of depression. He ate until he was full and then choked down the rest of it. He picked up his plate and put it down into the sink, washing it so that Hunk didn’t have too. Hunk frowned as Lance pulled a smile onto his face, drowning himself in his bravado as he prepared himself to face the rest of the team.

He marched out of the kitchen and into the living room before Hunk could say anything. Pidge smothered a laugh in her hands as soon as they caught sight of him.

“Laugh it up now,” Lance sighed, knowing that his hair probably looked like a bird’s nest.

“What happened? It looks like you got run over by a hurricane?!” Pidge laughed, reached over to ruffle his hair even more.

“Stop that you little gremlin,” Lance swatted at her hand, “It’s a lazy Sunday.”

“One damn lazy Sunday,” Pidge commented.

Lance flopped down on the couch, convincing himself that he could do this.

“ _ It’s exactly the same as being in my room. I’m still watching a TV show, it’s only a change of scenery. _ ”

He spared a glance over at Keith who was talking with Shiro. He looked quite happy, recounting a harrowing story to him. He was quiet and brooding towards everyone but Shiro  and Lance envied him . But he wished that Keith talked to him like that. Telling him a story with what looks like a smile crossed with a smirk on his face. Trusting him enough to let down his walls. But he a lowly cargo pilot who would never earn Keith’s trust. He just had to face the fact.

He didn’t care about Keith, in fact, he  hated him. He hated how he was always in his shadow. He was never good enough. He could never be good enough. At the garrison, Keith was the star pupil even though he was headstrong and hard to work with. He, on the other hand, had no real position. Lance was a lowly cargo pilot. He didn’t even have the skill of an engineering cadet. Hunk had more talent than him even though he spent most of the time puking. Nothing against him though. 

Only when Keith was kicked out was he able to become a fighter pilot. The news was bittersweet. It was his dream, but he didn’t earn it from his hard work and skills. He got the position thrown at him like some leftover scraps. But this was finally his chance! He would prove himself to everyone at the garrison that he should have been a fighter pilot to begin with! Then he found Shiro and Keith, his rival that never even noticed him. He was that low under the radar. He found Blue, his sweet lion. And the thrill of being able to fly the lion that partly came from the knowledge Keith couldn’t, even Shiro couldn’t. But even that couldn’t last. He was a leg. Not the steady leg that Hunk’s character and lion design made it undeniable. He was that other leg. And most of all, he hated that out of this whole accursed universe, Keith, out of all people, managed to steal his heart.

He didn’t miss the way that Shiro would pat Keith on the back, he was so proud of him. Maybe if he could beat Keith once, Shiro would look down at him like that. Validation. All he wanted was validation.

“ _ It would be pathetic to ask for it. Especially for a paladin of Voltron. It has to be earned _ .”

He would never get it. I would never be good enough to get it. As he grew strong, Keith grew exponentially stronger. He couldn’t beat Keith no matter how hard he tried. Every single time they spar he would give it his best shot, but he had resigned to the fact that he would inevitably lose. Instead, he focused his energy on something that he could actually achieve, getting the last laugh over Keith as they taunted each other.

The taunting game helped him to focus on something that he could actually win and in turn keep fighting with Keith physically. But there were times where one of Keith’s comments would strike too close to home, tearing himself up on the inside.

He realized that his smile had been drooping and quickly pulled it back up. He laughed alongside Pidge as they criticized the soap opera. He was fine. He was fine.


	4. Chapter 4

Lance grit his teeth unconsciously holding his breath as he pulled Blue into a spin and then into a free-fall. The fighter ship was close on his tail unloading clips at him. He pulled up and Blue flipped around shooting a tail beam at the fighter causing it to explode. He rounded on the next, firing shot after shot. He not only had to avoid the ships but also the explosions caused by his teammates' fire. As soon as they cleared out most of the ships they flew up to the bottom of the central command ship. Black cut a hole into the metal and they squeezed into the ship, Red melting the piece back into place.

They dismounted their lions and started running through the hallways, Pidge shouting out the directions. Speed was of the utmost importance. The further get could get before the generals were alerted and backup arrived, the better their chance of succeeding was. Oh, and not dying. That too. 

They were quickly met by a combination of electronic sentries and guards.

“Get down!” Shiro yelled and Lance dropped a knee and pulled up his rifle.

Shiro and Keith summoned their shields, hunkering down behind them as their teammates did the same. Lance pulled the rifle up to his eye lining the shots. He shot with impressive speed and accuracy, knocking down the guards as Hunk gunned down the electronic sentries. Keith and Shiro held up the defense, waiting for them to get close enough before engaging. That gave Hunk and him the opportunity to pick off as much as they could. As soon as they got within range, he and Hunk pulled Pidge around the corner and stuck their guns around the side as they continued to shoot. Pidge was furiously typing on their holoscreen, cursing as they came across a couple roadblocks.

They had disposed of the whole unit, running down the halls. Realizing that Pidge was struggling to get through the defense system, the Galra purposely looping their code so that it was like trying to find which line went where. But they were carrying precious cargo, what it was, they still had to find out, but it made sense that it would be very guarded. Lance picked up Pidge and put them on his shoulders. They automatically hooked their legs between his shoulders allowing him to continue to shoot. 

“Left!” Pidge shouted and Lance slid across the floor leaning to one side to balance Pidge.

Lance looked down to see sprinkles of blood, bright and red, across the floor. He spared a glance backwards to see that there was a trail of it.

“Who’s hurt?!” Lance shouted, getting a sinking feeling in his chest.

“It’s only a small scratch,” Keith hissed.

Lance couldn’t help but start to worry. A small scratch to Keith could mean anything from an actual small scratch to someone shot his arm off. Lance gulped focusing back on the mission. They were also leaving a trail of purple footprints. Lance didn’t want to think about it. He was panting, his body starting to shake even though it was masked under his running.

“ _ This is just sad. I’ve only been running for a couple minutes. I can’t believe I let myself get this out of shape.” _

They came across a bigger squadron, Lance having to calculate for Pidge’s height now. There was no time to put her down. That would require getting into an even more compromising position with the inability to defend himself. So he slammed his back against the corner of the wall. He dropped Pidge off now that he had some cover before getting into position. Pidge leapt over him and started typing a couple codes into an adjacent door. 

Look, aim, fire. Look, aim, fire. Roll past a laser beam, look, aim, fire. Bring the rifle down to reload, taking account for his surroundings. Look, aim, fire. He was careful not to hit Shiro and Keith. Keith’s fighting style was beautiful. Much more interesting and skillful than him. Damn, Keith-

“Hurk,” Lance choked out as he received a karate chop to his throat. 

He stumbled tripping and landing on his butt dropping his bayard and bringing his hands to his throat as it constricted. He couldn’t breath! He couldn’t swallow! He couldn’t hear anything, he couldn’t focus on anything instead of the crushing pain. 

“ _ Get up! Get up! _ ”

Lance leaped to his feet only to get clocked in the face. Back down it was again.

“ _ Come on, Lance. You got this. You got this, _ ” His brain screamed finally on his side for once.

He rolled out of the way of a blast, turning to catch the sight of a mangled drone crashing down on top of him. 

“Lance!” 

Pidge’s grappling hook wrapped around the guard, yanking him away from Lance and to the floor where Keith knocked him out.

“Pay attention, idiot!” Keith barked.

Lance slid to grab his bayard, holding onto the side of the wall as his vision was fading in and out. He managed to pull himself together, as Keith helped him fend off the second unit wrapping around behind him. 

Lance could hear the sounds of the desperation of fighting for your life. The heavy breathing, the adrenaline that pumped through your body, the yells of pain, the clanking of swords. 

“ _ Breath. You’re a paladin. You can’t be scared of a little fighting. The team’s got my back. Don’t give up,” _ Lance gave himself a mental peptalk.

Lance switched into hand-to-hand combat as the guards started to overwhelm him. He deactivated his bayard, using it more like a brass knuckle. 

He pulled his rifle up again and kept shooting until the corridor was clear of enemies. 

“Okay, it should be up here,” Pidge said looking down at the ship layout. They crashed into the control room, Hunk locking the door behind them. 

“The lions,” They panted.

“They’ll be okay for now,” Shiro said, “We just need to get to them as soon as possible.”

“It’s a nuke,” Pidge gasped, “It’s pretty big.”

“Then let’s use it,” Keith said.

Everyone gave him a look of shock.

“I mean to blow this place up.” Keith countered.

They looked to Shiro who had gone still. He was the leader and with that came difficult decisions. Including deciding whether to blow the base up. With all the enemies inside of it.

“Okay. Okay,” Shiro said. It was his teammates or the enemy. He had to choose them over the guilt of the decision. 

“I’m in and have control of the launching protocol,” Pidge said as her classic laughing face appeared on the screen.

“Let’s go,” Shiro said.

They could hear the enemies cutting through the door, and they all gathered around the sides, pressing their backs against the wall. As soon as the door was kicked open, they threw themselves at the enemy, breaking through their ranks. It was like a game of tag. Only with death. They had pulled up their shields to reflect the shots, running down the hallway. 

Lance hoped that those were the only guards left. Getting surrounded would be a nightmare. Luckily, that didn’t happen. They boarded the lions, breaking through the hole and speeding as fast they could away from the ship.

“I’m launching it,” Pidge shouted, as they pulled up on their wheel to avoid what was left of the fighter pilots.

Lance looked back and for a moment there was a sort of silence. The kind that came right before the hurricane. And then everything was engulfed in red.


	5. Chapter 5

Lance didn’t know up from down. All he knew was that he was glad that he was wearing a seatbelt. Blue tumbled in the air, hit by the blast wave. He was screaming, not that he could hear it. The alarms were blaring, red lights flashing. Blue finished the last of her barrel rolls, resuming her floating through space. She had put her barrier up and she was drained from protecting them from the blast. 

Lance had definitely gotten the air slammed out of him when he was thrown against his seatbelt. Maybe even broke a rib or too, he couldn’t tell. He wrapped his arms around himself, unbuckling his seatbelt before curling around himself. His head was pounding and he could feel the heavy beat of his heart pressing behind his eyes. He blinked blearily trying to get some thoughts through his head. He kept spacing out, eyes looking ahead blankly as he huffed and puffed like the big bad wolf. 

“Blue?” Lance called out in a strangled exhale. 

He could feel a whisper of her presence in his mind. Barely brushing. She wasn’t able to move, they were stuck. He balled his hands into fights, forcing himself to uncurl. He laid down on the floor, sucking in small breaths as the pressure in his chest grew. 

“Please,” Lance whimpered, “Call-Call Hunk.”

He prayed that the line would go through, it would be even worse if he was stuck in space all alone, with Blue barely here with him. There was a moment of silence as the sound of a ringing phone echoed through the cabin.

“Lance?” Hunk’s scared voice trickled through.

A hologram of his best friend appeared and Hunk gasped.

“You okay? What about your head?! You’re bleeding!” Hunk yelped, “Hold on, we’re going to pick you up.”

Lance nodded deftly, pulling his legs up and putting his head between his knees. Everything hurt. It felt like there was a weight in his chest that he couldn’t get off and no matter how much air he sucked in, it wasn’t enough.

_ I can’t breathe. Oh my god, I can’t breathe! Lance get a hold of yourself. Breathe, come on, you can’t be doing this right now. _

But his internal panicking only made it worse and he was sucking air, making a small wheezing noise. 

“Lance? Lance?” Hunk called.

Lance couldn’t answer. He couldn’t get up. He was feeling nauseous. He might puke. He really might puke. Lance let you a silent moan as he pulled his hands to his head. The pounding was getting worse, he could even hear it.

He could feel the floor shifting beneath him, spinning in lazy circles, making him feel even more nauseous. He blinked…


	6. Chapter 6

**I double posted in one day just to let you know so that you don't miss the last chapter.**

* * *

He blinked… his head spinning. The floor lunged for him until he fell into strong arms.

“Woah my boy,” Coran said, “Be careful, you had a nasty, what your friends told me is called, a concussion.”

“ _ I hate cryopods _ ,” Lance thought, holding his head. They always left him feeling drained, cold, and hungry and this time disoriented.

“Come on, I bet you’re hungry,” Hunk slung his arm around him and helped him to the kitchen as he slowly woke up. 

Hunk made him a delicious meal and soon Lance was walking his way down his room. 

“Damn, that hurt,” Lance said, talking to himself.

He paused for a second waiting for the door to finish sliding open before flopping on his bed. The battle ran through his head and he couldn’t help but pick out all the things that he had done wrong. So many moments he could have gotten hurt and then he would only be a burden to his team. He shook his head as if he could kick his thoughts out of his head.

The clock caught his eye. It was almost time for their daily training. Unless a crisis was happening, they would have training. In a sort of sense, everyone took comfort in it. It was regular, the only sense of a routine they had. It was familiar in a time when nothing was. 

Good, this would provide a distraction from himself and maybe he could actually learn some skills to make himself better.

“ _ Doubt it _ .”

(line break)

Of course, Lance had gotten his ass kicked by Keith. His back hurt from Keith grabbing him and swinging him to the ground. He had landed on his back, immediately knocking the air out of him. He wouldn’t let that stop him. He couldn’t lose the fight just because he got a little hit to the chest. But it was already over since Keith’s blade was pointed directly in his face. 

Lance rolled over on his side, pulling the covers over his head. There was nothing else he could do about the lousy mood that was hanging over his head so he might as well just sleep. But he found that he couldn’t do that either. Whatever, he could find something else to do. Lance left his room to wander the halls of the castle. Even though all the hallways were well lit, the sheer emptiness of them made them seem like they were dim. He would imagine all the people that were once busing through these halls. Now, there were only seven people, a couple mice, and a cow that lived here. 

Eventually, he found himself at blue’s hangar. He pulled his body up onto Blue’s claw laying on top of it.

“Hey Blue,” Lance said to the lion.

He could feel the lion greet him as well. It was a weird sensation. He definitely didn’t receive actual words from his connection but a feeling that his brain somehow was able to translate. He couldn’t help but smile his spirits automatically raised by the presence of Blue.

He sighed, turning over to lay on his back and face the bottom of the lion’s chin.

“I’m sorry I can’t be a better paladin. I’m really trying, I just can’t beat Shiro or Keith and I’m not as smart as Pidge or Hunk. All I got is the dumb accuracy ability.”

Lance could feel the overwhelming feeling of sympathy, encouragement, and pride wash over him from Blue. It was so strong that it completely drowned out all his feelings and thoughts. She chose him for a reason, he was the best of the best. He could do this. He was important.

“ _ Thanks Blue, _ ” Lance thought.

Feeling a bit better, Lance headed to the lounge, smiling as he saw that Hunk and Pidge were watching a movie there. He vaulted over the couch and landed next to them. 

“Aw, this channel sucks.”

“Oh hush, it’s great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait for the next chapter! That's where we get to the real fun where we advance Lance and Keith's relationship.


	7. Chapter 7

The roar of the crowd was amazing. Another planet liberated, more people freed from the tyrant of the Galra. He soaked up the praise, a smile stretched on his face. This is what he lived for. Yes, a little bit of the attention and praise, but also knowing he made a difference in this world. That he actually did something useful and helped people instead of only weighing them down. 

“Yes, yes, I’m awesome,” Lance bowed, getting the usual eye roll from his teammates. 

Sure it was a front but also it made him feel better to hear it, even when it was only from himself. As the team turned to head back into their lions, they were invited to a dinner invitation. It wasn’t a rare thing to be invited to some sort of party after their fight. They always graciously accept the invite, it was always an honor no matter how many times it happened. 

Lance followed after Hunk as they were led further into town. He noticed that the population on this planet had a mixed variety of space people. All shapes and sizes and anatomies. They walked into a gathering room that was quickly rushing to set up decorations and tables out of what the Galra had left for them.

“I know it’s not a lot but-” a, what looked like a rolly-polly, apologized.

“Of course it’s enough,” Shiro smiled, “This looks very nice, I like the tablecloth.”

Lance agreed, the table cloth was nice. Dinner was a wide variety of fruits and meat that were native on the island. 

“Hublong?” One of the aliens asked, coming around with a pitcher.

“What’s in it?” Lance asked.

“Well it’s straight Hublong,” The alien laughed as if it was common knowledge, “It’s best mixed with something else though.”

“Can you pour a little in my cup so I can try it?” Keith asked, holding it out.

“Are you sure? It’s straight Hublong. It’s pretty strong.”

“I’ll be okay,” Keith shrugged, his cup dipping as he got the drink poured into it. 

It was the smallest amount the alien could get into there, barely covering the bottom of the glass. Keith took a sip and sat there for a second.

“It’s a little sweet,” Keith said.

“That’s because you’re supposed to mix it with something else. But I wouldn’t recommend too much of it after drinking a little bit of it. It might make you sick.”

“Make it a surprise,” Keith smiled.

“You might want to watch your friend after this,” The alien leaned in close to him, “It’s a mood enhancer. Impairs judgement and functions.”

“Oh, alcohol!” Lance exclaimed, “Keith it’s alcohol.”

“Oh well, still mix me one,” Keith gave the bartender his cup.

He soon returned with a red fizzing drink, “Here you go, I made it particularly light in Hublong for you.”

“Thanks,” Keith said.

It wasn’t long until Keith was laughing and joking with the aliens next to him. 

“ _ I wish I was those guys sitting next to him _ .”

“Pst, Lance,” Keith snapped his fingers at him, getting his attention.

“I’m not a dog, just call my name,” Lance pouted.

“Let’s go, I hear some of them talking about a party.”

“Wait, what?” Lance replied.

“Ya,” Keith stood up, running over to the other side of the table and grabbing his arm, “There’s no way I’m not going.”

Lance was yanked out of his chair and Keith was tugging at him, trying to almost run out of the room.

“Cool it,” Lance pulled him back, “if you look like you’re bolting out of here, everyone’s going to start wondering why.”

“Fine,” Keith sighed, his full body drooping forward.

“Just chill,” Lance pulled him up, “You’re drunk.”

“No, I’m not,” Keith pouted, “I’m only tipsy.”

Lance stopped for a second, looking back at the dining hall. Shiro was laughing in a conversation with several of the head leaders. Pidge and Hunk were talking and by the looks of it, recounting one of their adventures. 

“ _ What if it would be best to just stay. Maybe Keith will come back with me. _ ”

He turned around to find Keith asking directions to the nearest party, smiling brightly.

“ _ Oh god, he’s so drunk. He’d probably go without me. I have to go with him _ .  _ And how bad could this be? _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And off we go~


	8. Chapter 8

Lance was trying to keep up as Keith danced around the crowd of people. He smiled apologetically at them as he tried to squeeze past without bumping them as much as possible. Lance startled for a second as he felt an arm hook around his. He looked up to see Keith smiling at him, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol or whatever this planet’s version of it was.

"Come on," Keith laughed, "You're going to get lost."

Lance couldn't help the blush that flashed across his face. But Keith was already surging forward and he was being swung back and forth. 

" _ Is this really it? Is this how it all starts? Me and Keith practically holding hands? _ "

This was the moment where he had a choice. If he lets go, then it's all over. He and Keith and this night would keep going like it never happened. But if he holds on, if he doesn't let go? He has a chance to see where this goes. So Lance tucked his arm a little closer, swinging around so that he was directly in line with Keith.

"I want to go dancing," Keith looked around, trying to find the nearest club.

Lanced grabbed his sleeve, "Are you sure you're okay? You’re acting weird."

"Psh, I'm just like this when I get drunk," Keith gave him a slap that was more just his hand sliding down his back.

"You're one of those that go all party hardy when you get drunk," Lance realized, "This is so crazy, honestly, I thought pigs would fly before you'd act like this."

“Well I get lovely dovey drunk first and if I drink a little more, then I get party hardy,” Keith explained.

“ _ Damn, I wish Keith was lovey dovey drunk. _ ” __

They continued running down the street until they stopped in front of a flashing doorway. 

"Here?" Lance asked. 

"Why not?" Keith shrugged.

"Come on," Keith was pulling him into the club.

They were hit immediately with blaring loud music, the lyrics sung in a language that they, of course, couldn't understand. The colored lights were swinging around, occasionally catching his eye and making him blink rapidly as black dots danced across his vision. The dance floor had the same flashing colors underneath. The flashing lights would light up the bodies crammed in there, most of them dancing together on the floor while the other's crowded around the bar.

"Woah," Lance breathed, "I guess they really do know how to throw a party."

"Of course they're throwing a party, they were just freed from an oppressive Galra reign. Now come on, let's dance."

Lance took a deep breath, Keith's sudden change in character was making him all tense. He was here to have fun, plus, he loved dancing. Lance followed Keith to the dance floor, carving out a little space for them to dance. It wasn’t long until they were panting, overheating as they were sandwiched in between tons of sweaty bodies. Someone threw a cup of water into the air and it rained down into the crowd. A bunch of others joined in, tossing the drinks into the air. The crowd cheered, enjoying the cooling liquids. Lance joined them, whistling his approval. He looked back down at Keith. Honestly, Keith was almost as good a dancer as he was. Almost. And just like anything they did together, it turned into a competition.

"Oh it's on," Lance growled as the shark ring started to form around them.

Keith's dancing was more still, his legs kicking back and forth, over and under each other in time with the beat. He would change from one direction to another quickly. And of course, he was all in his face. Dancing in circles around him. Lance gave Keith a hard shove, sliding around him as he stumbled backwards. His moves were more like a ballerina, smooth and using his flexibility to his advantage. They got closer and closer, their turns getting shorter and shorter until they were dancing at the same time. 

Lance put two hands on Keith’s shoulders and gave him a teasing shove. Keith stumbled before grabbing Lance’s hand and gave him a tug. Lance collided chest to chest with him and he could feel his face heat up ten-fold. Keith’s arms were wrapping around his side- and oh this was little much right now. 

"You want-hah-to get a drink?" Lance offered, pushing away from Keith as sweat was pouring down his face. 

He wiped it off with his shirt, not waiting for an answer as he headed for the bar.

"One of those," Keith ordered, gesturing to a fancy looking drink next to him.

"I guess I'll get the same," Lance shrugged when the mixologist turned to him.

Keith slumped into the chair, pushing his sweaty hair out of his face.

Didn't know you could dance," Lance panted, accepting the drink. 

He immediately downed it all even though he could barely breathe. He motioned for another, taking a seat as well.

"Didn't know you could party," Keith answered.

“ _ Okay, time to flirt. But this time it’s real. It’s kinda funny that lover boy Lance is nervous to flirt this one time. _ ”

"There's a lot you don't know about me. But maybe you could start tonight," Lance smirked.

"Well then, show me," And then Keith was leaning in.

Lance didn't know what to do. He was joking when he said it but there was some truth that was hidden within it. He didn't get any further in his thoughts as Keith's lips were smashing into his. It was messy, Keith was off-balanced and leaning heavily on him. Lance could taste the alcohol that traced around his lips and could smell it on Keith. And oh my god, this was actually happening. Keith pulled back and looked up into his eyes. Purple was definitely Lance's new favorite color. Keith watched his face, trying to judge his reaction.

"Okay," Lance breathed.

They both downed the rest of their drinks. Lance handed over a couple coins which he was pretty sure was the planet’s currency and followed Keith out of the bar. Whatever he had just drank, it was pretty strong. The echoing boom of the base was fading into the background as they ran down the street, their arms ended up linked together again. Lance was laughing as the giddy warm feeling spread from his stomach and into his chest. They stopped at the beach, their feet pounding in the sand. Keith ended up tripping and as he landed on his stomach, Lance was dropped flat on his back. They were both still laughing and Keith righted himself laying down next to him.

"You got sand in my eyes," Lance whined.

"Sorry, here let me get it."

Keith reached over, tussling his hair and running his thumb under his eyes.

"Better?" He asked.

Lance's face was burning up. Keith's face was above him, highlighted by the moonlight, his purple eyes staring into his.

"Yes," Lance breathed.

Keith laid down next to him and Lance held his arm out, holding his breath. Keith held his hand back and he scooched a little closer. They sat in silence as the wave's quiet swish filled the ambiance of the background. Keith wrapped a tentative arm around his shoulder and he leaned into it. There was a moment of silence where they just sat their watching the world live it’s life.

“Do you think we’re all going to be okay?” Lance asked, turning his head to look at Keith. Keith didn’t turn his head to look back at him.

Keith picked up on what he meant, “Ya, of course. I’m not going to lose any of you. You guys are the only thing I have.”

“Me too,” Lance agreed. 

“ _ I love you, _ ” Lance wanted to say, “ _ I love you so much I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. _ ”

“Promise?” Lance asked, turning to face Keith. 

“Promise what?” Keith asked, rolling over as well. 

“You won’t leave,” Lance looked him in the eyes, “You guys are the only thing I have.”

“That’s my line,” Keith scoffed. 

Lance held his pinky finger out, “Promise,” he said. 

He didn’t like the moment of hesitation from Keith but eventually he said, “Okay, I promise,” And took his pinky in his and they shook on it. 

Lance turned over on his side, looking at the tree line. They stayed like that for a while.

“ _ This is it. I could stay in this moment forever _ ,”

He took a deep breath in. He was sitting and living in the moment. Something about the stillness and intimacy that made the moment so fulfilling. He didn’t want to interrupt the moment but his shoulder was starting to hurt so he turned back on his back, Keith following suit. 

“Did you ever look into the stars and dream about seeing them when you went to space?” Lance asked. 

“Ya,” Keith breathed, “Named that constellation desert rock.”

“Seriously?” Lance laughed, “You’re so creative.”

Keith rolled his eyes, “You have to admit that it looks just like one.”

“Well then, I rename that one, Keith’s mullet,” Lance teased. 

“Hey!” Keith socked him in the shoulder.

Lance responded by shoving him back. And then they were both up and running, kicking sand at each other as they reached towards the sea. Keith tackled him and they both fell on the wet sand, a moment later the tide coming in and flushing them with its water. They stood up spitting a mixture of sand and sea water out of their mouths. 

“How about we get one drink to clear our mouths?” Keith offered.

Lance held his arm out and Keith took it. Keith nodded and they walked down the dirt street, kicking up dust around their feet. They followed the sound of the music down the street, eventually seeing the flashing lights.

“After you,” Keith held the door open for him.

Lance ruffled Keith’s hair, with the biggest smile on his face.

“No after you” Lance said, pushing Keith through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our first longer chapter. They all get longer from here.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the comments. They really are amazing and I read every single one. Let me know how y'all are doing and what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

They stumbled over each other and over to the bar.

“The strongest,” Keith ordered and Lance stared at him, “And one for him too.”

“Keith,” Lance hissed. 

“What this night deserves to go out with a bang,” Keith smiled. 

Keith traded a handful of coins for the two drinks. 

“Cheers,” Keith offered. 

Lance took the glass, “Cheers.”

They clinked the shot glasses together before tilting them back. 

“Ick,” Lance gagged. 

“Ya, not exactly good,” Keith made a similar face.

“So much for clearing out our mouths,” Lance said, making a face.

“Ready?” Keith held his arm out and Lance hooked it in his.

Lance started to head for the door but Keith pulled them onto the dance floor once more. The floor was just as crowded as before, the party seemingly never ending. Keith pulled him chest to chest to him. His arms wound around his waist as he swung his hips back and forth following the beat. Lance hesitated before leaning into him, wrapping his arms around his necks and putting his head on his shoulders and listening to Keith’s heartbeat. They held onto each other for a bit, rocking back and forth to the drowned out beat of the music. They swayed back and forth, Lance leaning his head on Keith’s shoulder.

“How about we head back to the ship?” Keith offered, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Lance could feel that warm feeling bubbling up in his stomach, partly because of the alcohol, partly because this was actually happening, and oh my god, how long has he waited for this moment. They took their time heading back, leaning on each other for support as they stumbled around. 

“Why did I let you convince me to do this?” Lance bemoaned, “I’m going to fall.”

“Noooo,” Keith slurred, “I’ve gotcha.”

“You’re drunk too!” Lance yelped as he tripped over nothing.

Keith, true to his word, caught him.

“You’re sooo drunk,” Keith retorted.

“I know, I know. I’m a lightweight,” Lance groaned.

He was having trouble putting one foot over another. The world was spinning and he tried to focus on Keith but there were currently three of him. It was making him a little nauseous. Not wanting to look like he couldn’t hold his own, he focused on the center that all the Keiths were spinning around.

“How are we going to get past-hic- Ssshiro and Allura?” Lance asked.

“Be really quiet and if they find us let me do the talking,” Keith said. 

They walked up the ramp and headed into the castle.

“Where were you and why are you so late?”

Shiro was, of course, waiting for them. Why wouldn’t he be? 

“A couple of the guys invited us to a party, while we were heading home and we didn’t want to ruin it,” Keith shrugged.

He crossed his arms over his chest and Lance was sad to see fun Keith leave. Shiro’s gaze landed on him and Lance smiled.

“They had a bunch of strobe lights,” Lance remarked, enunciating his words while Keith watched him carefully, “It was actually pretty similar to an earth party. Reminded us about home.”

They must have passed Shiro’s tired judgment somehow because he was nodding and they were briskly walking back to their rooms. Lance frowned as they came up to his door. He didn’t want this to end. He needed to tell him how much he loved him. How he wanted to do and be together like this every day.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Keith shrugged.

Lance didn’t respond. He only grabbed Keith’s face and pulled him into a deep kiss. He started to worry when Keith went stiff and started to pull back. 

_ Oh my god, I read the signals wrong. He kissed me before, right? That doesn’t apply to now but..how am I going to face him in the morning? Will he even remember this?  _

“Er, I’m sorry,” Lance sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “I just- I guess- I mean I guess I just thought that you-”

He started to inch back, looking down at the floor as he did so. Keith grabbed him, kissing him back. Keith was pushing him back against the wall, wrapping his hands around his waist. 

“I love you,” Lance murmured when they pulled apart.

He really did love him. He loved him so much that it hurt. Lance was slowly walking backwards into his room, Keith leaning into him. They landed on the bed, Keith looking down at him lust and determination swimming within his eyes. Keith was pressing hard into his lips. All the while, Lance was scooting backwards into the middle of his bed and Keith climbed on. He straddled Lance’s hips, leaning down and starting to suck a hickey.

“Wait, no hickies!” Lance yelped.

“Too late,” Keith smirked.

Keith placed his hands on Lance’s chest, slowly running them down his sides until he was thumbing at the waistband of his pants.

“Is this okay?” Keith asked, stopping for a second.

“ _ Should I tell him that this is my first time doing anal? Fuck, no, he would think I’m a loser. _ ”

“Yes,” Lance breathed.

“And I thought you were a ladies man,” Keith laughed.

“Shut it,” Lance flicked his nose.

Keith pulled his pants down, Lance lifting his hips to help him. He played with the waistband of his boxers, running his hands up and down his chest. It had the chills running up and down his back. It seemed to fascinate Keith, who did it again. 

“Okay, will you get on with it?” Lance asked. He was uncomfortably hard and Keith was crunching his dick as he was sitting on him.

Keith was pressing his lips against Lance’s, effectively cutting him off. His hands reached under his shirt and he started feeling him up and down from his stomach to his hips. Lance relaxed under him, the soft caresses making him suddenly feel content. Here he was, with Keith no less, who was pressing his hips down into him, rolling them slightly. Then he was backing up, pulling Lance’s boxer’s off. 

He looked at his dick and Lance started to feel uncomfortable. He knew he was bi but he had never seen another dick before. Was he too small? He shifted uncomfortably as he felt like Keith was sizing him up. But Keith didn’t say anything, only gave him a smirk, before taking his dick in his hand and swirling his precum around the tip.

“Huff,” Lance groaned, already starting to curl up but Keith used his elbows to push him back down.

Looking him in the eye, Keith leaned down and licked the tip of his cock. Damn was that sexy. If it was possible, his dick got even harder. Keith slowly worked him up to a full hard-on. Lance would have already started grinding against him if it weren’t for the fact that Keith was pinning his hips and legs down.

“You don’t have any lube in here do you?” Keith asked, popping off his dick with a trail of saliva still connected between them.

“Honestly, no. You really think I could find any of that in space?” Lance sighed. 

“These’ll do.”

Lance looked up to see Keith squeezing one of his lotions into his hand. 

“Hey, that one’s expensive!” Lance complained. 

“Too late,” Keith shrugged, 

Keith knelt back down and Lance jolted when he felt Keith insert a finger. Keith had to use one of his arms to hold down Lance’s legs as they almost snapped shut on him. 

“You need to relax,” Keith said, adding another. 

“Just give me a second,” Lance said.

The feeling was foreign and he wasn’t sure if he liked this or not. He gave Keith a nod. He scissored his fingers back and forth, slowly pushing them deeper before curling them. He pushed a third in and Lance was groaning. He felt Keith pull his fingers out and sat up to watch Keith rub some lotion on his dick. 

“I always tell you that a little lotion would do you wonders,” Lance chuckled. 

Keith rolled his eyes, climbing onto the bed and pushing Lance down. 

“Ready?”

Lance nodded and Keith was rocking his hips forward. Getting the head in was the worst part. It burned, it ached, and it sent bolts of pain up his back and Keith was slowly trying to push in. His nails clawed at Keith’s shoulders and there was no doubt that Keith would have little crescent moon indents carved into him.

“Do it like a bandaid,” Lance hissed, “Just get it done.”

“Relax, on three,” Keith wrapped both arms around Lance’s chest.

“One-” Keith said, shoving his hips forward.

“Ow! Fuck,” Lance groaned, “That wasn’t on three.”

“Sorry,” Keith paused, giving Lance some time to adjust. Slowly but steadily, Lance was seated at the base.

“I’ll give you the best fuck of your life,” Keith grinned, hugging his arms to his chest.

“ _ And my only one. Best and worst at the same ti- _ ,”

Lance’s train of thought stopped right there as Keith trusted his hips forward. His whole body tightened up, his nails digging into his palms, and his toes curling.

“So tight,” Keith huffed.

There was so much foreign stimulation and Lance was squirming. Keith’s trusts were at a quick but steady pace. He was slightly pulling Lance down at the beginning of each thrust so that he rocked back into him. He groaned as it started to feel good. It was going straight down to his dick and it started to leak precum.

“Fuck, Keith,” Lance moaned.

Keith kissed him again, pressing down on his lips. Lance could feel his heavy breathing, puffing and hot. Keith gave a particularly hard thrust and his back tried to arch off the bed as he gasped. That one felt really good. Keith kept him pinned down, frowning when he didn’t get the same reaction from him with his next thrust. He adjusted the angle of his hips in an attempt to hit that spot again, shifting every time he didn’t find it.

“Keith, I need more,” Lance moaned, the heat pooling in his stomach felt amazing but it was starting to grow, having nowhere to go.

“Give me a sec,” Keith panted.

His arms slid a little lower, slightly canting Lance’s hips up. This time he got what he wanted. 

“Oh god,” Lance gasped, trying to curl up as Keith hit his prostate.

But Keith kept him in the position so that he hit his prostate with each thrust.

“I’m gonna,” Keith moaned, pulling out, just in time.

He pumped Lance’s dick a couple times and Lance came right after. They both lay panting, Keith flopping down next to him.

“Woah,” Lance breathed, “One hell of a time.”

“Told you,” Keith gave a breathy laugh.

“Well, you’re the best and the worst,” Lance retorted.

Keith paused as he did the math in his head.

“I was your first?” Keith asked, turning his head to look at him.

“Ya?” Lance said.

“Fuck, are you okay?” Keith’s brow furrowed as he searched Lance’s face for an answer.

“Ya?” Lance answered, a little confused.

“Okay,” Keith sighed in relief, “As much as I’d love to sleep, we need to clean up.”

“Change the sheets,” Lance’s nose crinkled in disdain.

“I’ve got it,” Keith waved his hand at him, “You shower up.”

“Who am I to argue? The room service is better this time.”

Keith lazily swatted at him, Lance laughing as he picked up his towel and headed into the shower. Lance came back to a newly made bed and no Keith. He toweled off his hair, changed into some fluffy pj’s, and jumped into bed. He was almost asleep when he felt the bed dip and someone climb in next to him. Lance smiled as Keith pulled him into the middle of the bed, wiggling as he wrapped his body around him.

There was something about having Keith’s arm wrapped around the middle of him, his leg hiked over his hips, and having his head leaning on his shoulder that made him feel grounded, protected. In the middle of the night, Keith left and Lance’s heart sunk for a minute until he heard the toilet flush and Keith shuffling back into bed. Keith was laying on his back so Lance wrapped an arm around his chest, pulling him in closer to lay his head on Keith’s chest. There were moments in the night where he would shift, giving him a squeeze that he would respond with pressing himself as tight as he could to him.

Lance slept well but also lightly, always aware of Keith’s presence and how good it felt.

“ _ This is perfect. It’s everything that I’ve ever imagined it would be like. _ ”


	10. Chapter 10

Lance awoke to the sound of shuffling and a hangover.

“Hhng,” Lance groaned, turning over. 

“Oh you’re awake,” Keith said, flipping on the lights.

Lance rapidly blinked as the blinding white light flashed on.

“Now I am,” Lance replied.

He slowly sat up trying to recall what he had been doing the night before. Flashes of memories flitted through his head. He couldn’t remember all of it, but he remembered the significant events. Or at least he thought he did. But he had enough to piece together what had happened. Lance looked over at Keith and they stared at each other for a moment, the silence uncomfortable. Lance took a deep breath.

_ “Might as well just get this over with _ .”

“So what are we?” Lance asked, his voice soft.

He looked up at Keith who was pulling a shirt over his head.

“I don’t know. I mean I had a good time, I wouldn’t mind doing this again,” Keith shrugged.

Lance could physically feel the moment that his heart broke. It meant nothing, all of it meant nothing. It was basically a one night stand. Now Keith was offering that they could be friends with benefits, fuck buddies. A one night stand plus a little more. Lance wanted to scream at him. How could all that mean nothing to him? Did he even feel anything when he was taking him around town, when they slept together? Keith was looking at him, waiting. He should tell him to fuck off, take his stupid mullet, and his traitorous heart back to the desert where they found him. 

He shouldn’t.

“ _ I am not a side chick. I am not a fuck buddy. _ ”

At least he told himself that. But the idea that Keith wanted to do this again made him feel sexy and good in a sort of way. That he had at least something that Keith wanted, liked about him. He knew he would end up taking what he could get. It was something rather than nothing. It meant that Keith cared at least a little bit.

“That would be great,” Lance smiled through a frown.

“ _ So much for not being a side chick _ .” Lance bitterly thought.

Keith smiled. As soon as he left the room, Lance flopped face first into his pillow and started sobbing. Everything, little intimate moments, his heart, his love, all trashed in a matter of seconds. Everything that Keith said were lies. Fuck Keith, fuck his crush, fuck Voltron. He wanted to go home. He was stuck in space with the same six people for forever and there would be no chance to move on. He couldn’t get away from the situation, couldn’t leave Keith to go find someone else or distract himself with friends. 

He cried until he just felt drained. He turned over and stared at the ceiling. 

“ _ Keith saw the best and most vulnerable parts of me and he didn’t see anything. Not anything worth loving, not anything worth dating.” _

He just couldn’t right now. So he fell into his daily routine, another shower even though he didn’t need it and applied his lotion and facial cream. He was sorta nice, this was familiar and he could pretend that this didn’t happen.

He looked at the time and saw that it was almost time for their daily team practices so Lance unwound the towel around his head, washed his face off, and slid into his armor. When he got into the training room, everyone was already present.

“Nice of you to join us, Lance,” Shiro said.

It didn’t really matter if he was there in a matter of seconds. If he was the last one there, he was pegged for being slow. It probably came from the fact that he was actually slow at the beginning and had built up that reputation. Or maybe he just really was slow. If they had a better blue paladin then they would probably be more on time than he ever could.

He looked over to Keith who hadn’t even spared a glance at him. That wasn’t different. He wasn’t sure if it made him feel better or worse. 

“Okay, we’re going to work on long range and close range fighting,” Shiro started, “Keith pair up with Lance and Hunk you’re with Pidge. Keith and Pidge, this will give you practice with long range opponents, and Lance and Hunk, the same but for close combat opponents.”

Lance couldn’t even begin to say how heavy the rock in his stomach was.

“You two are up first,” Shiro said, pointing at them.

“You ready, hotshot?” Keith asked, his bayard forming into his long sword.

Lance grit his teeth, the nickname making his blood boil. Instead he just rolled his eyes for the sake of the rest of the team. He knew they were already surprised with his lack of reaction. The Lance they knew would never miss the opportunity to fight with Keith. They took their positions on the opposite sides of the room, Shiro giving them the signal to start. Lance fired shot after shot, moving around so that he kept Keith at a distance. Keith deflected them with his sword before forming a shield. He advanced slowly at Lance who used his agility to his advantage, making sure Keith couldn’t get into attacking range. 

He knew Keith had more stamina than him, especially since he kept running around. He stopped, waiting, aiming his sniper at Keith as he waited for the opportunity. Of course, Keith started to advance. Lance kept his eye lined up with the sight and waited for- there! The slight opening below the shield gave Lance the opportunity to take a shot at Keith’s feet, making the paladin trip. 

He rolled out of it and Lance was going to have to either move or get a shot in because Keith was coming at him quickly. He saw an opening for Keith’s head and took the shot with a smirk. Keith was quick to duck and block it with his shield. He shot Lance a smirk.

“ _ Wait, quiznak, of course Keith wouldn’t leave his head open like that. Damn, he did it on purpose _ .”

Of course it couldn’t be that easy. Keith had baited him into not moving and now he was going to get it. As soon as Keith got close enough, Lance slammed his gun into his side. Surprisingly, it was super satisfying. This was actually a good outlet for his anger.

“ _ That for fucking everything. _ ” Lance thought.

Keith stumbled for a second but recovered quick enough to use his sword to block Lance’s next shot. Keith swung his sword at him and Lance blocked it with his gun. Keith was overpowering him and his knees where starting to bend. Lance let his bayard revert and Keith was falling down. Screw regular fighting tactics, he had been wanting to punch Keith and this was his chance. Lance cocked his fist back and clocked him with everything he got. He could hear Hunk and Pidge go “ooohhh” on the sidelines as he gave Keith the most condescending smirk.

“ _ That’s for fucking me and then leaving me like it was nothing. Like I was nothing. _ ”

Keith growled as he stumbled back a couple steps, bringing his hand to his cheek. Keith attempted to kick him, bringing his sword swing above it so that he couldn’t jump over it. Thank god he was flexible because that was one hell of a limbo move. He stumbled forward, barely rolling out of the way of the sword. Lance grit his teeth, as he had to jump over Keith’s sword again. Keith was on the offensive and Lance knew he couldn’t keep dodging for forever. He reformed his gun and fired several unaimed shots, shooting a widespread range at Keith, who had to twist his sword and body to avoid them. Lance took his chance and instead of blasting Keith with a “kill shot”, he slid forward, grabbing Keith’s hand. He twisted it and used the momentum to throw Keith over his shoulder, who landed on the metal floor, bouncing once. 

“ _ That’s for my fucking heart. _ ”

“First, what the quiznak is happening and second, holy shit, Lance might actually win,” Lance heard one of them say from the sidelines.

“ _ I’ll show them that I can actually win _ .”

He formed his gun, about to take the “kill shot” when he felt the sword slam into his calves. He was falling and Keith was on him in a second. He had abandoned his sword, and grabbed his hair, slamming his face down into the tiled floor. His vision briefly flashed white, his arms straining as Keith twisted one of them behind his back and a hand pressed his cheek into the floor.

Lance snarled, grunting when Keith twisted his arm even further.

“Keith, get off him.”

Keith was pulled off and Lance took a huge breath as he realized he had been holding. 

“You jackass,” Lance snarled, immediately jumping up and poking Keith’s chest, “I hate you.”

“What was going through your mind?! That was uncalled for Keith,” Shiro scolded.

“Hey, the enemy could have fought the same way. What if he was faced with an opponent in unarmed close combat? Plus, he started it first,” Keith huffed.

“And Lance-,” Shiro turned around but Lance was already stalking out the door of the training room, ignoring both Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge calling after him.


	11. Chapter 11

To say that Lance and Keith had been avoiding each other was an understatement. The sheer length the two went through to avoid each other was almost impressive. Meal, training, or social time was an either/or for Lance and Keith. It had already been a week. Even though Shiro had given it his best shot to get the two to talk to each other, they were still at an impasse. 

“You ever going to talk to Keith again?” Pidge asked, leaning on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

“Yes,” Lance replied, not taking his eyes off the tv.

“Really?!” Pidge asked, sitting up and spilling the popcorn all over Lance’s lap.

“I mean, we’re probably going to be stuck on this spaceship for forever. It’ll probably be to tell him to fuck off or ‘I’m only work with you because Voltron requires me to’,” Lance sighed, picking the buttery pieces of popcorn off of his lap.

He flicked one at Pidge, who yelped and threw a handful of popcorn at him.

“Lance, do you have any shamp-”

“Shhhh,” Both Lance and Pidge answered at the same time.

“You were just talking,” Hunk exclaimed.

“Ehh, the movie was boring anyways,” Pidge replied.

The alarms blared, a red light blinking above them. The three of them ran to the hangars, jumping into their lions. The coms pulled up and before anyone could say anything Lance said, “I’m only working with you because Voltron requires me to, Keith”.

There was a slight snicker that could have only come from Pidge.

Keith opened his mouth to say something but Shiro interrupted.

“What’s going on?” Shiro asked.

“There is a space worm coming up on the ship. They’re notorious for taking bites out of space ships. We need to chase the beast away. Watch out, they’re got poisonous spikes and their tongue shoots out like a space frog,” Coran informed them.

“Got it,” Shiro replied as they launched out of the hanger.

They immediately surrounded the worm firing a couple tail shots only to watch them bounce off the reflective scales. 

“Okay, so that’s not going to work. What now?” Hunk asked.

“Let’s form Voltron,” Shiro said.

Just as they were flying into formation, Lance saw the tongue of the space worm launching at Keith. It was a hideous thing; long, slimey, and with a myriad of rotating spikes. Lance pushed down hard on his steering wheel, bringing Blue’s hind legs down on Red’s back. He could literally see the impact on Red as her back bent and she lurched forward. He could have been gentler, but Lance wasn’t feeling like being in a gentle mood. He did partly feel guilty for being mean to Red though. 

Keith let out a growl and Lance watched Red slowly turn towards him.

“What is up with you!?” Keith growled, driving his lion forward.

“I saved your stupid ass!” Lance shouted, Blue meeting Red head on.

“More like you almost broke Red,” Keith shot back.

The lions tussled in space, the literal definition of a cat fight. Robotic claws scratched against plating. Lance could feel Blue’s internal argument with Red echoing in his head as the lions took their pilot’s side. Blue’s soothing presence had turned cold and he could feel the heat radiating off Red. 

“Stop it!” Shiro’s voice boomed over the coms. 

Both Keith and Lance paused, knowing that was the “You’re in deep shit” voice.

“I can’t believe you guys. We are already fighting a giant space worm. We don’t need to be fighting each other. We are forming Voltron _ now _ ,” Shiro commanded.

Lance shot a look at Keith over the holograms but he was looking away. They were all silent as they flew into formation. Voltron made short work of the space worm, sending it swimming away with a gash in its side. Voltron separated immediately afterwards, everyone feeling uncomfortable by the joined tension of both the pilots and their lions through their link. Lance parked Blue in the hanger, his voice only breaking the silence only to apologize to her. 

“ _ I shouldn’t have brought the lions into this. It wasn’t fair to them _ ,” He sent the mental thought to Blue.

Blue assured him that she would always have his back, even if it meant fighting against the other lions. That made Lance feel guiltily better. Blue shouldn’t have to do that but it was nice to know he could always count on her. He also knew that Shiro was one second away from lecturing him. 

“ _ I just can’t hear about it right now. I know I fucked up, can’t we just leave it at that? _ ”

Lance peered over Blue’s visor seeing that Shiro was already waiting down there for him with Keith.

_ “I might as well get this over with _ ,” Lance steeled himself.

“You two better start explaining,” Shiro said firmly.

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask Lance,” Keith said, glaring at him.

“ _ I don’t have to say anything _ ,” Lance thought, crossed his arms across his chest and pressing his lips firmly together.

“Fine,” Shiro said, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Obviously, this isn’t going to go anywhere. So, from now on, we stick together as a team. No more avoiding each other. No more fighting. Otherwise, we are going to have to talk this out with me. You guys are letting this affect the team.”

“Fine,” Lance huffed, glaring back at Keith.

Keith just nodded his head in agreement and they both could see Shiro suppress a sigh. When they both turned to leave, Shiro grabbed them and swung them back around.

“I said, figure it out,” Shiro stated, “You can either figure it out by yourselves or I’m going to have to babysit you both.”

“We can do it by ourselves,” Keith huffed, leaning up against the wall. 

Did he want to do this? Absolutely not. But he was not going to talk to Shiro about not only sneaking out and drinking a fuck ton of alcohol, but then coming back and sleeping with each other.

“I agree,” Lance confirmed.

Shiro turned to leave, pausing before the entrance, “You know I do this because I care about you guys, right? Whatever you’re going through, remember, you're still teammates and you have to love and support each other.”

_ “Maybe LOVE and support each other is a bad way to put it _ ,” Lance thought.

“So, what was up today? And yesterday? You’re acting like a prick,” Keith snarled, poking Lance in the chest.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lance denied, knowing himself that was a flimsy excuse.

“Oh, don’t pretend like nothing’s happening. What’s going on with you?” Keith pushed.

“Maybe it’s just you being you!” Lance shouted back, “Ugh, you’re just so aggravating.”

_ “Maybe because you broke my heart and then walked away like it was nothing. Walked away like I didn’t even matter to you. I should have never gotten mixed up with him. Stupid, stupid, _ ” Lance mentally berated himself.

“Me? Aggravating? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You’re obnoxious, vain, and apparently, petty as fuck. You want to talk shit, back it up. Let’s go. Right now,” Keith stalked up to him, pressing himself chest to chest with Lance.

Even though Lance was slightly taller than Keith, his extremely aggressive stance and the way he puffed up was still very intimidating. The way he pressed up against his chest, his feet slightly apart, arms up ready to throw a punch made Lance’s body lock up. Keith’s aggression was rolling off of him in waves. Waves that Lance didn’t know how to ride. 

Lance wanted to push him off of him, even knowing that would engage him in the fight. He felt the need to defend himself, his fight or flight instinct assessing the threat and the way Keith made him feel trapped was making him feel like he had to fight back. But he would get his ass handed to him. Keith was better at hand to hand combat than any of the team could hope to be.

Lance ended up taking a couple steps back, Keith following him back. Lance couldn’t get away, he needed space, he needed to get back. Lance shoved Keith back even through his better judgement. And yep, that blew Keith off. But just as Keith kicked his fist back, Lance danced out of the way putting his hands up. 

“Fine, fine,” Lance said, backing down.

Keith let him go but crossed his arms over his chest maintaining his aggressive stance.

“How about we just forget this and tell Shiro we worked it out,” Lance let his hands fall to his side, looking away, “I’m sorry.”

If there was one thing that Lance learned, it was that sometimes you had to just grit and bear it, to apologize to get out of a situation. When his mama rounded on him, the best way to get out of her tongue lashing alive was to just to put your head down and agree with her. 

That seemed to satisfy Keith who deflated slightly.

“Fine,” he said.

Not that Lance was expecting an apology back anyways. They both left the hanger, shifting uncomfortably under the expecting stares of the rest of the team.

“So?” Shiro asked.

“We worked it out,” Lance said flatly.

Shiro looked to Keith who just nodded back. 

“Wheff,” Hunk let out a breath, “I was scared you guys were going to end up fighting. It felt really bad when we formed Voltron.”

They both remained silent.

“I’m tired, I’m going to head to bed,” Lance sighed, leaving before the tension between him and Keith infected the room.

“No disturbances,” Lance added, mainly directed at Hunk.

He knew his best friend would come and try to comfort him but he really couldn’t deal with it right now. 


End file.
